For bluing if you can get Brownell's 44/40 cold blue use that. It is the best stuff I have ever used.It takes practice but you can do it. I'm quite good it at but only after practicing on 20-30 old hand tools like screwdrivers, etc. I have an entire tool box of tools with industrial finishes!

Never ever reuse your cotton swab. Use a fresh one each time you dip. The metal must be surgical clean and dry. Use several coats until you get the right shade. Wipe it down and oil it immediately

Hi Jim, unfortunately, it seems that 44/40 is not available over here, I have G96 instant blue at the moment and the range of Birchwood Casey cleaners/degreasers etc. For some reason I didn't get the BC blue in the pack that I bought, so maybe I get it and will try that one next. Your tips and advice are very welcome and I will experiment on tools! seems like a good way forwardThanksRoland

That is a superb looking gun, hope it shoots as good as it looks! It shows clearly form following function equals a great piece of kit! In the UK we are not used to seeing pump trap guns and the proportions looked at first a little odd to me, with the long barrel, high rib, large fully opened stock and relatively petite fore-end but the more I study it the more I want one! Lovely wood too!I bet you are happy

Thank you both. Impala, yes it does shoot quite well. I'm 6'3" so I needed the adj. comb and butt stock just to get the gun fit. Still need another 1/8" cast off and maybe 1/4" to 1/2" drop at the heel. I have owned all makes of pump guns and this is my first Ithaca. It has the shortest and smoothest action of any shucker I've run. I enjoy this gun so much I have shot it exclusively since receiving it some 5 years ago. It has really made Trap shooting fun again. The best part is showing up at a range and getting strange looks from the "K", "P" and "B" crowd which quickly change after a 25 or two. Then the quizzing starts

A happy day for me today! My dear wife asked me what I wanted this past Christmas and I casually said "I could do with another '37!" To cut a long story short she bid for and won a real beauty which I picked up today! To top it all, its a '59! Ser. no 730xxx. It is a full choke 28" 2 3/4" field model with a slightly smaller trigger guard than my '65 and '71 and is fitted with what appears to be genuine Ithaca synthetic furniture. It swings great and I can't wait to get out and shoot it. It has just about 99% of its finish and lovely sharp engraving, possibly been a cabinet queen for most of its life, although the yoke is fitted hard up to the mag nut which suggests to me it has been used in earnest. Happy days!!

Another '37 came my way recently. In a bit of a bad way but working fine. The safety catch was missing so I made one from brass as a temporary fix whilst awaiting parts from the States. The worst thing is the finish, a nasty, sticky, black, hand-paint job complete with over paint and brush marks! I mean really? Why would you? Its a 26" imp cyl choke Vent Rib 1977 model (it has the two additional lugs on the carrier which prevent loading direct to the chamber.) It appears to have had the stock cut short then badly re-lengthened, fortunately I have a spare stock that will grace this gun when refinished. For all its faults and shabby appearance, it shoots great though.

with brass S/C fitted

7737.JPG (63.08 KiB) Viewed 4017 times

This is probably the worst looking 37 on the forum, I'm looking forward to restoring it to its best

showing missing S/C and dreadful paint

7737 before (2).JPG (161.82 KiB) Viewed 4017 times

Last edited by impala59 on Sun Oct 29, 2017 11:43 am, edited 1 time in total.

As it was so bad I have tried a couple of finishes on this gun to get a better looker. On the receiver I used Rustoleum stove matt finish, sprayed onto hot metal then heat cured. For the barrel I used Plastikote stove semi matt then heat cured with a heat gun, passing hot air through the barrel for one hour. I fitted a home made fibre light tube and I'm fairly happy with the result, definitely an improvement over before! It remains to be seen how durable these finishes are.